WASHINGTON — As military tensions between the United States and Iran intensify, national security analysts are confronting a question that inevitably arises during periods of geopolitical confrontation: Could Iran attempt to retaliate through proxy actors or clandestine networks inside the United States?
The concern is not theoretical. Iran has a documented history of using proxy groups abroad to advance its strategic objectives. From Hezbollah’s global footprint to regional militia networks across the Middle East, Tehran has long relied on asymmetric methods of warfare rather than conventional force-on-force engagements.
The issue now confronting U.S. intelligence officials is whether that strategy could extend to American soil.
Iran’s military doctrine emphasizes indirect confrontation. Rather than direct battlefield clashes with superior conventional forces, Tehran has historically relied on regional allies, cyber operations, intelligence assets, and proxy organizations to apply pressure on adversaries.
